Not Quite Narwhal

Some folks were born to be different from everyone around them no matter how hard they try to fit in.

What a creative premise! As soon as I read the blurb, I couldn’t wait to find out why a family of narwhals gave birth to a baby unicorn and what would happen to Kelp once he realized that he wasn’t like anyone in his community. The beauty of this premise lay in how many ways it can be read. It worked both as a charming fairy tale as well as an example of how to live happily for children who are different from the people around them for a wide variety of reasons.

The plot could have used some more development. All of the basic things any story needs to be a good one were implied or briefly mentioned, but the narrator didn’t go into detail about any of them. I was honestly expecting to love Kelp’s adventures. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting into them because of this issue, although I would have selected a much higher rating if it hadn’t happened.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the characters in this book was how they reacted to Kelp. I was expecting him to be teased or bullied due to all of the various ways he stood out from the crowd. How his peers actually behaved made me smile. While I can’t go into detail about their reactions without giving away spoilers, this is something that would completely appropriate for even the youngest readers.

Not Quite Narwhal should be read by anyone who has felt out of place in the world.

originally posted at long and short reviews

This is ADORABLE. My daughter is 4 and obsessed with unicorns. She's also an Octonauts fan, so she is familiar with narwhals. This is a sweet book about loving yourself, loving your friends, and bringing different groups together. I can't get over the cuteness of the illustrations, either. You need this in your life.

Kelp has always known that he is different from the other narwhals. His tusk is not as glorious as his friend's. And he still has not mastered the art of swimming.

One day, a swift current carries Kelp far from home. He surfaces and sees an animal in the distance that looks just like him! Stepping onto land for the first time, Kelp begins his search for the magical creature.

He emerges from the forest to find a meadow filled with what must be land narwhals. Kelp is then informed that the creatures are actually unicorns and is told that he is one too! How will his underwater friends take this shocking news? Should Kelp remain on land with his unicorn kin forever?

This is one of my absolute favorite children's picture books of all time! I love everything about the story. I can totally relate to Kelp and his feelings of being torn between two worlds. I think that everyone will be able to relate with Kelp and his journey to find out who (and what) he really is.

Sima's illustrations are adorably fantastic! I fell in love with Kelp the moment I saw him in the clam shell. Sima is a master of facial expressions and I love the diverse color palette that she uses which can be seen throughout the book.

Readers of all ages will adore Kelp and cheer him on in his quest to find his true identity. This book is sure to become a children's classic and will delight readers for years to come. I hope that Kelp will return to share more of his adventures with the world.

Beyond the message of belonging, when to the naked eye, you clearly do not belong to a certain group, the example of how the members of the group foster that feeling, is what I loved most about this story. Kelp thinks he is a narwhal and although he notices the not-so-subtle differences between himself and the narwhals, "his friends didn't seem to mind, so Kelp decided he wouldn't either." When Kelp believes he has found his true identity and reveals it to the sweet narwhals who had always treated him as an equal, their reaction and subsequent decisions, that are in the best interest of Kelp, is exactly what I love about Not Quite Narwhal.

This is a wonderfully written and illustrated book, any child under 8 or 9 would love it. The young unicorn believes he is a narwhal until he ventures on land for the first time and sees other unicorns. Then he is torn between the two worlds and has to figure out where he truly belongs. What a great and heartwarming book that presents a complex subject beautifully and simply for young readers. As a mother of an adopted child I have searched high and low for a book like this and honestly haven't found any nearly as well done. Thank you for writing this story and letting my daughter and other children know that they don't need to decide where their loyalties lie because there is room enough in their hearts for both families.

An absolutely adorable picture book about unicorns & narwhals! The illustrations are fantastic, and Kelp is just beyond cute. Besides being a visual treat, kiddos can also take away the message about belonging & staying true to who you are-- even if you're not quite sure who that is yet! =) Highly recommended, and can't wait to see what Jessie Sima does next.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The illustrations are beautiful, the characters charming, and the message is universal.

Its magic can help teach kids that even while they might not feel like they quite fit in, they are still worthy of love, and in fact, are probably quite loved already even without their realizing it.

A beautiful message about not having to be perfect to fit in, and not having to choose between two groups of friends just because they may differ from one another.

I'm buying an extra copy to put away in case anything happens to this one.

A new favorite! Adorable illustrations, and a story that can be read on many levels. I can see using with younger students relating to friendship and community building, yet with older students it could be read into much more about identity, who we are, how we find our true selves, and acceptance. Love it and will be sharing often!

Some folks were born to be different from everyone around them no matter how hard they try to fit in.

What a creative premise! As soon as I read the blurb, I couldn’t wait to find out why a family of narwhals gave birth to a baby unicorn and what would happen to Kelp once he realized that he wasn’t like anyone in his community. The beauty of this premise lay in how many ways it can be read. It worked both as a charming fairy tale as well as an example of how to live happily for children who are different from the people around them for a wide variety of reasons.

The plot could have used some more development. All of the basic things any story needs to be a good one were implied or briefly mentioned, but the narrator didn’t go into detail about any of them. I was honestly expecting to love Kelp’s adventures. Unfortunately, I had trouble getting into them because of this issue, although I would have selected a much higher rating if it hadn’t happened.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the characters in this book was how they reacted to Kelp. I was expecting him to be teased or bullied due to all of the various ways he stood out from the crowd. How his peers actually behaved made me smile. While I can’t go into detail about their reactions without giving away spoilers, this is something that would completely appropriate for even the youngest readers.

Not Quite Narwhal should be read by anyone who has felt out of place in the world.

originally posted at long and short reviews

This is ADORABLE. My daughter is 4 and obsessed with unicorns. She's also an Octonauts fan, so she is familiar with narwhals. This is a sweet book about loving yourself, loving your friends, and bringing different groups together. I can't get over the cuteness of the illustrations, either. You need this in your life.

Kelp has always known that he is different from the other narwhals. His tusk is not as glorious as his friend's. And he still has not mastered the art of swimming.

One day, a swift current carries Kelp far from home. He surfaces and sees an animal in the distance that looks just like him! Stepping onto land for the first time, Kelp begins his search for the magical creature.

He emerges from the forest to find a meadow filled with what must be land narwhals. Kelp is then informed that the creatures are actually unicorns and is told that he is one too! How will his underwater friends take this shocking news? Should Kelp remain on land with his unicorn kin forever?

This is one of my absolute favorite children's picture books of all time! I love everything about the story. I can totally relate to Kelp and his feelings of being torn between two worlds. I think that everyone will be able to relate with Kelp and his journey to find out who (and what) he really is.

Sima's illustrations are adorably fantastic! I fell in love with Kelp the moment I saw him in the clam shell. Sima is a master of facial expressions and I love the diverse color palette that she uses which can be seen throughout the book.

Readers of all ages will adore Kelp and cheer him on in his quest to find his true identity. This book is sure to become a children's classic and will delight readers for years to come. I hope that Kelp will return to share more of his adventures with the world.

Beyond the message of belonging, when to the naked eye, you clearly do not belong to a certain group, the example of how the members of the group foster that feeling, is what I loved most about this story. Kelp thinks he is a narwhal and although he notices the not-so-subtle differences between himself and the narwhals, "his friends didn't seem to mind, so Kelp decided he wouldn't either." When Kelp believes he has found his true identity and reveals it to the sweet narwhals who had always treated him as an equal, their reaction and subsequent decisions, that are in the best interest of Kelp, is exactly what I love about Not Quite Narwhal.

This is a wonderfully written and illustrated book, any child under 8 or 9 would love it. The young unicorn believes he is a narwhal until he ventures on land for the first time and sees other unicorns. Then he is torn between the two worlds and has to figure out where he truly belongs. What a great and heartwarming book that presents a complex subject beautifully and simply for young readers. As a mother of an adopted child I have searched high and low for a book like this and honestly haven't found any nearly as well done. Thank you for writing this story and letting my daughter and other children know that they don't need to decide where their loyalties lie because there is room enough in their hearts for both families.

An absolutely adorable picture book about unicorns & narwhals! The illustrations are fantastic, and Kelp is just beyond cute. Besides being a visual treat, kiddos can also take away the message about belonging & staying true to who you are-- even if you're not quite sure who that is yet! =) Highly recommended, and can't wait to see what Jessie Sima does next.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The illustrations are beautiful, the characters charming, and the message is universal.

Its magic can help teach kids that even while they might not feel like they quite fit in, they are still worthy of love, and in fact, are probably quite loved already even without their realizing it.

A beautiful message about not having to be perfect to fit in, and not having to choose between two groups of friends just because they may differ from one another.

I'm buying an extra copy to put away in case anything happens to this one.

A new favorite! Adorable illustrations, and a story that can be read on many levels. I can see using with younger students relating to friendship and community building, yet with older students it could be read into much more about identity, who we are, how we find our true selves, and acceptance. Love it and will be sharing often!

First off, the main character is a Unicorn who has been raised by Narwals and thinks he is just an odd Narwal. You already want to read it, right? Then Kelp realizes they are a unicorn and is taken in by unicorns... but misses they family and gets to be part of both the unicorns and the narwals. So the story is affirming of you can be a bit different and accepted and you can have your families and friend (even when they are very different from one another). Very cute illustrations too.

Which are you--a narwhal or a unicorn? An adorable critter named Kelp starts out with his narwhal friends. He looks and feels a little different, and he doesn't love their seafood diet. But he's fine with it all...until a current sweeps him away and carries him to land. There he discovers a family of unicorns who welcome him and set him straight. Kelp enjoys his new friends but misses his narwhal friends too. Can he live in both worlds? A wonderful read with delightful illustrations by debut author-illustrator Jessie Sima...for anyone who doesn't quite fit in!

Like everyone else, I absolutely love this adorable book. There are two reviews that aren't 5 stars and one of them is absolutely asinine. The review complained this book celebrates the idea that "you can be whoever you want to be and not who you were created to be." CALM down. It's a children's book! Also, why can't we look at it like a story of adoption? The unicorn was raised by narwhals and then found his "biological" crowd. He then unites his two families. Sounds perfect to me.

Cute story about an adorable character finding their place in the world. The author/illustrator thought of the best little details to make the book special, from the shimmery cover to the clever bio at the end.

I cannot praise this little storybook enough. I picked up a copy at Barnes and Noble and read through it right then and there. The artwork is adorable, the journey of the little unicorn Kelp is brilliant, and I love that both unicorns and narwhals are featured prominently. The message of acceptance is prevelant throughout. Great for kids and adults alike! I will be ordering a copy soon to add to my book collection.